But many Egyptian merchants still sold their wares to Palestinian shoppers who continued to cross the border.

By Sunday, many store shelves were empty and fuel supplies were exhausted in Rafah and El-Arish.

Some Palestinians accused Egyptian traders of price gouging; Hussain said that some shops were exploiting the situation by raising prices for goods he knew had been much cheaper on his previous visits to Egypt.

Currency exchange rates have also been affected: Palestine has no national currency and Gazans carry Israeli shekels. While the government exchange rate is set at 1.50 Egyptian pounds for every shekel, a black market exchange rate was quickly established, devaluing the Israeli currency by as much as 30 per cent.

On Sunday, Egyptian currency traders had set a parity between the shekel and the Egyptian pound but some stores bypassed the pound entirely and started accepting Israeli currency.

Umm Ramadan, who came to Rafah from the Palestinian town of Al-Daraj, said she was disappointed that Egyptian traders had hiked the prices of nearly all basic items.

She said: "We are unable to buy anything, they exploited this opportunity. The shekel is considered equivalent to the [Egyptian] pound. We lack medicine, gas, electricity … the life we live is intolerable."

Her mother, the family matriarch said: "We want to live like other people, we are locked up. We cannot see our families… and we came here to buy and we don't have enough money to buy, everything is expensive here."

Thankful

Egdeeh bought a motorbike in Egypt[Adam El Sehemy]

But Sameer Egdeeh, a policeman from Khan Younis, which lies 65km from Rafah, says he is thankful Egyptian authorities allowed Palestinians a reprieve from the Israeli-enforced economic blockade.

He told Al Jazeera: "We want to thank the Egyptians for allowing Palestinians to buy their goods after the siege. Egyptians feel the suffering of the Palestinian people."

Egdeeh had purchased a motorcycle in El-Araish because he says it requires less fuel than a car, a logical idea with dwindling fuel supplies in the Gaza Strip. Egdeeh also bought gas from Rafah.

He explained that there was no water or electricity in Gaza but that things had improved slightly when Israel began allowing limited amount of fuel to reopen Gaza's only power plant.

Anger

While some Palestinians did express gratitude at Egyptian 'solidarity', they directed their bitterness and anger at other Arab countries.

Egdeeh said: "I want the Arabs to remember the youth of Gaza being killed as they watch on television. We want their help, we defend Al Aqsa Mosque and that is for all the Arabs. This isn't just about the Palestinians, it concerns us all."

Hussain, on the other hand, said: "It's a problem to ask anything from the Arabs."

"To expect a dead person to do something for you is difficult. All I ask them to look at the children of Gaza, not even the others, just the children who are dying from the siege. Take a little look at them that's all."